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Confusing Element Symbols Explained

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Confusing Element Symbols Explained CONFUSING ELEMENT SYMBOLS EXPLAINED Most of the chemical symbols for elements in the periodic table make perfect sense; there are a small selection, however, that seem to bear no relation to their element’s name. Here’s a look at these rogue symbols, along with explanations of the reasons behind them. GRAPHIC KEY 11 SODIUM – NATRIUM 19 POTASSIUM – KALIUM 26 IRON – FERRUM Na K Fe ELEMENT ATOMIC NO. Arabic – natrun Arabic – al qalīy Latin – ferrum 11 ELEMENT NAMES Sodium’s Latin name, ‘natrium’, derives ‘Kalium’ is potassium’s Latin name, and Iron’s Latin name, ‘ferrum’, simply means from the Greek ‘nítron’ (a name for derives from the Arabic ‘al qalīy’, meaning ‘iron’ or ‘sword’, and is possibly of Semitic sodium carbonate). Its original source is “calcined ashes” (the ashes left over when origin. The element is known by a myriad Na Source of symbol’s name likely to be the Arabic work ‘natrun’. A plant material is burned). As with sodium, of various names in different languages, number of modern languages still call the a number of modern languages still refer with some sources suggesting there are ELEMENT SYMBOL element natrium instead of sodium. to potassium as kalium. over 200 different names for it. 29 COPPER – CUPRUM 47 SILVER – ARGENTUM 50 TIN – STANNUM 51 ANTIMONY – STIBIUM Cu Greek – kypros Ag Latin – argentum Sn Latin – stannum/stagnum Sb Greek – stíbi Copper’s Latin name was ‘cyprium’, which The Latin name for silver, ‘argentum’, is Tin’s Latin name, ‘stannum’, may be The Latin ‘stibium’ derives from the itself comes from ‘kypros’, which is the thought to derive originally from Indo- derived from the Indo-European ‘stag’ Greek word ‘stíbi’, meaning eye paint, Greek name for Cyprus. The island of European, likely referring to the metal’s (dripping) because tin melts at a low referring to antimony’s use as an ancient Cyprus was famous centuries ago for its shininess. The country Argentina is named temperature. There’s also speculation it eye cosmetic. This is in turn likely derived copper reserves. The name was eventually after silver, and is the only country to be could be derived from the Cornish ‘stean’ from Arabic or Egyptian. Few countries simplified to ‘cuprum’. named after a chemical element. due to Cornwall’s famous tin mines. refer to antimony as stibium today. 74 TUNGSTEN – WOLFRAM 79 GOLD – AURUM 80 MERCURY – HYDRARGYRUM 82 LEAD – PLUMBUM W German – wolf rahm Au Latin – aurum Hg Greek – hydrargyros Pb Latin – plumbum Wolfram was named after the mineral The Latin name for gold was ‘aurum’, Mercury’s original Latin name was Lead’s Latin name, ‘plumbum’, likely it was found in, wolframite. This is from meaning ‘yellow’, derived from the word actually ‘argentum vivum’ (living silver), originally derives from a language pre- the German ‘wolf rahm’, or ‘wolf’s foam’, ‘aurora’ (‘dawn’). The name ‘gold’, used but Latin later borrowed from the dating Ancient Greek. This Latin name referring to the amount of tin ‘eaten’ by in Germanic languages, means ‘yellow, Greek ‘hydrargyros’ (liquid silver) to give is also the source of the English words the metal during its extraction. Wolfram is shining metal’; many other European ‘hydrargyrum’. The original English name ‘plumbing’ and ‘plumber’, due to the still used in several languages. languages use derivatives of aurum. for the element was ‘quicksilver’. historic use of lead in water pipes. C © COMPOUND INTEREST 2016 - WWW.COMPOUNDCHEM.COM | Twitter: @compoundchem | Facebook: www.facebook.com/compoundchem This graphic is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence. BY NC ND.
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